Inside Casa Raíz, a Timeless Buenos Aires Home Shaped by Light and Craft
In Pilar, Province of Buenos Aires, Casa Raíz offers a considered take on contemporary family living, where natural materials, tailored furniture, and controlled light come together to create a home that feels refined.
Designed for a family of six, this residence underwent a comprehensive renovation led by Melazza Mobili, with architecture by Lucas Muñoz of LAK. The project also extends outdoors across 180 square metres, incorporating a sun room, swimming pool, and terraces.
Designed for living, not display
For the homeowners, who had previously lived in New York, Chile and London, the brief was less about creating a specific aesthetic, and more about making a home they would always want to return to. Cooking, reading, listening to music, gathering around the fireplace, and dwelling over lovely dinners became the starting points for the design.
Melazza Mobili reworked the existing house with an emphasis on proportion, circulation, and atmosphere. Some elements were retained, while views, transitions, and spatial relationships were subtly refined. The resulting layout moves naturally between generous social spaces and more intimate areas, balancing openness with a sense of calm.
A palette built to endure
Materiality is central to Casa Raíz, with every finish selected for its ability to age gracefully. Oak flooring and ceilings establish a warm, cohesive foundation throughout the interiors, while Calacatta marble introduces a restrained sense of luxury in the entrance and living room.
In the kitchen, Calacatta Viola brings depth and movement to the palette, while travertine adds a tactile quality to the guest bathroom and hall. Aged gold-toned metals provide a subtle glow, complemented by a combination of linen, leather, marble, and matte timber.
The effect is sophisticated without feeling overly formal: a layered interior where texture and craftsmanship do much of the visual work.
Letting the light in
Natural light was treated almost as a material in its own way. Rather than allowing it to flood the interiors unchecked, the design uses linen curtains, shutters, and dyed mesh cantonnières to soften sunlight, regulate privacy, and to create a changing atmosphere throughout the day.
In the living room, shutters frame the stone fireplace while allowing the amount of light entering the space to be finely adjusted. In the bedrooms, drapes create more sheltered, intimate corners.
Green, drawn from the surrounding landscape, appears throughout the interiors as a subtle link between the house and its exterior. It is echoed in furniture and accessories instead of used as a literal interpretation of nature.
Furniture with a sense of purpose
Much of the furniture was custom-made by Melazza Mobili, reinforcing the project's emphasis on proportion and personalisation. In the dining room, Zola chairs add a contemporary note, while Cesca chairs bring lightness to the everyday dining area and connect visually with the kitchen.
A circular glass table introduces another layer of transparency, contrasting with leather and timber seating. The green Boscone dresser – with its curved form and open-pore finish – captures the studio's restrained approach to custom furniture.
Technology is intentionally discreet. Home automation, developed with Kibo, is integrated into the architecture through warm, indirect lighting, LED strips and low-level illumination, allowing the technology to support the atmosphere in its entirety.
A home made to last
For Melazza Mobili, longevity is not simply about durability but about creating interiors that can evolve gracefully. Regal materials, considered craftsmanship, and solutions that are easy to maintain and repair form part of the project's sustainable approach.
Led by Florencia Melazza and Malena Taboada, the studio approaches custom design as a form of precision, therefore at Casa Raíz, architecture, furniture, and atmosphere are treated as parts of an integrated whole.
The result is a home that resists the pull of passing trends. Instead, its character comes from the quieter details: the warmth of oak underfoot, the shifting quality of filtered sunlight, the tactile variation of stone and linen, and furniture made specifically for the people who live with it.
Credits
Interior Design: Melazza Mobilli
Photography: Gutnisky